Our View: Transformers: The quest begins with you

Imagine Rockford at the top of the most desirable places to live list. Imagine a low crime rate and a high quality of life. Imagine people flocking here because it’s THE place to be.

A group of local businessmen imagines that, but they know transforming Rockford and the region takes more than a bunch of white guys sitting around a table coming up with visions of what could be. They know to be a truly successful city and region that everyone needs to be part of the process.

Rock River Regional Transformation — a clunky name for a grand vision — has been the worst-kept secret in town. Rockford Register Star reporter Georgette Braun details the project in today’s Local section.

Just about anyone with a title — and quite a few without — has heard a presentation about the project. Most of the discussion has been about the process, how we get there. Where the “there” is has yet to be determined.

That’s a good thing. The project, led by Woodward Inc. Chairman Tom Gendron, does not have a pre-ordained conclusion. Gendron and the others who are leading the project don’t pretend to have all the answers.

We all know what the challenges are: high crime, high unemployment, high poverty rates, low educational achievement and more, A piecemeal approach to these issues has not and will not work. What kind of community do we want to be for the 21st century? What do we want to be known for?

The transformation project is about you creating that vision. It’s about solutions that come from you. The role of Gendron and other project leaders is to expedite and facilitate the process.

In that role Gendron and Mike Schablaske, a former Woodward employee who has been the ambassador for project, have talked to numerous people. They have $3 million in pledges from businessmen and community leaders who believe Rockford can be a better place.

They have reached into companies, businesses, churches and community organizations and welcomed media partners. There hasn’t been a grand rollout of the project because its leaders continue to reach out to involve more people.

You’ll be hearing more about this in the months ahead. Expect town hall-type meetings where you can express your concerns and offer your solutions. This is not about Gendron and his group. It’s about Rockford residents lifting themselves up and making this a successful community.

OK, so what do we have to DO?

It’s a good question. We’ve seen the community respond when it has a clear, defined goal: raise money for charity, volunteer to spruce up schools, etc. When the goal is a bit ambiguous, it’s difficult for the community to rally around. For people living paycheck to paycheck the vision is about putting food on the table and a roof over their heads.

But if the same spirit that brings thousands to ShareFest, if the spirit that inspires Alignment Rockford volunteers, and if the spirit we see in our churches and other organizations is applied to the transformation project, success is inevitable.

The first step is to read Braun’s story to see what it’s about and who’s involved. The next step is to be involved yourself and encourage others to join you.

This effort encourages us more than the dozens of plans, studies and community agendas we’ve seen in the past because of the commitment of Gendron, Schablaske and others. Not only have they invested time and money in the project, they’ve taken the right approach in their outreach efforts.

However, residents need to be patient. The downhill spiral has been going on for years and won’t be solved for years. We do expect short-term progress, but long-term results will be more challenging.

It’s a daunting task, but one that must succeed to make this region a better place to live, work and play.